Coronavirus in a psychiatric hospital: 'It's the worst of all worlds'

[babylonsister]

Coronavirus in a psychiatric hospital: 'It's the worst of all worlds'
Social distancing in a psychiatric facility is easier said than done. So far 34 people at Western State Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus.
April 17, 2020, 6:00 AM EDT / Updated April 17, 2020, 5:38 PM EDT
By Kit Ramgopal


It's not unusual to hear patients screaming and crying at Western State Hospital, workers say. But lately, they say it's been worse than normal at the massive psychiatric facility just south of Tacoma, Washington.

Since COVID-19 hit the hospital a month ago, its Victorian-era buildings have felt "eerie" and "strange," according to workers.

The art room is empty, group therapy is canceled and patients eat alone in the cafeteria. A skeleton staff cares for more than 700 patients battling illnesses that range from schizophrenia to suicidal depression. Older patients are not so much quarantined as stranded, unwilling or unable to get up from their hard plastic beds without help, workers say. Other, younger patients are free to roam the halls with no masks.

Thirty-four patients and staffers have tested positive at Western State since the outbreak began, and one patient has died. The hospital says conditions have improved, with few new cases in recent days and no new sick patients in two weeks. But some workers — who actually outnumber patients 4 to 1, and who account for most of the coronavirus cases — tell NBC News they fear the real scale of the infection is unknown.

"This is a massive problem that is going to have continuing ramifications both psychologically and physically," said Lauren Smith, a forensic psychologist at Western State. "We have people who are sick, and we have people who are absolutely scared."

Western State, one of the oldest and largest state psychiatric hospitals west of the Mississippi, was the first in the U.S. to report a coronavirus case. At least 62 other state facilities have followed to date. An outbreak at a Louisiana facility has infected 99 patients and 34 staff members; in New Jersey, all four state psychiatric hospitals have outbreaks and six patients have died. At Nevada's Willow Springs Residential Treatment for Kids, almost half the patients are positive, and one person has died.

As of Thursday, NBC News had identified more than 1,450 COVID-19 cases at state mental health facilities in 23 states and Washington, D.C. — roughly double the total reported in the federal prison system. The numbers, provided by state health officials, are likely an undercount since 16 states did not provide data.

more...

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/coronavirus-psychiatric-hospital-it-s-worst-all-worlds-n1184266?fbclid=IwAR1htjdVEUB_HS-ZyrcFXwmKPHXaa7F75S5sfZ6CFvhvTH0FbjOGQ6dujK8

[gopiscrap]

1. I live about 10 miles from here

my son lives about 4 miles from here. I think this is where they did a lobotomy on Francis Farmer in the movie that made her famous

[SheltieLover]

2. I've been wondering about patients is psych facilities

And people with autism. Many cannot comprehend what is happening to them, let alone deal with the symptoms. 💔

[I_UndergroundPanther]

3. I cannot imagine

Being on a covid 19 infected psych unit while having a psychiatric crisis and I cannot distance and I don't feel safe.

Be it depression, dissociative issues or psychosis. Any of it would be horrifying.

Especially to be psychotic and so sick, all alone,even when staff is there. Ravaged in mind and body. It makes my heart ache .

[exboyfil]

4. My daughter is on a mental health floor

In a regular hospital. So far no CV patients. They wear masks, but it is difficult. It is easy to get your PPE ripped off. Some patients are 24/7 sitters because of self harming. It was looking like they were working their patient load down to close the unit, but that has reversed.